Slavery, Sexuality & Religion

Slavery has cast a long shadow over the lives of women and girls. The Feminist Sexual Ethics Project is exploring the impact of slavery on enslaved and slave-holding women and their descendants. Many enslaved women and girls were sexually exploited, in many cases by people of faith. Such sexual exploitation corrupted the moral values of individuals and of society. If we are to create a society in which ethics and social structures are based on freedom and dignity, we need to recognize the extent to which slave-holding values have shaped and continue to influence religious policy.

People are increasingly aware that slavery exists even today. Our project, however, is focusing its efforts on overcoming the lasting effects of past slavery in the United States and within the religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.